REUTERS and U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Donald R. Allen (modified by INSS)
The Engine and F-35 Aircraft Deal for Turkey: Implications for the Regional and Global Balance of Power
The current U.S. administration is advancing a major deal, valued at over $700 million, to sell F110 engines to Turkey for its KAAN aircraft project. Despite the administration’s attempts to bypass congressional barriers, this move is not an isolated event; rather, it is a strategic accelerator intended to pave the way for Ankara’s full return to the F-35 program. While Washington’s rationale seeks to preserve Turkey as an anchor within NATO, in practice, it creates a serious dilemma and presents a weighty, threefold strategic risk: Undermining NATO from within: Empowering an actor that is engaged in aggressive competition against Western allies (such as Greece) and is entrenching a defiant military presence in Cyprus.
Fueling Regional Friction: Granting legitimacy to a competitive power that provides a safe haven for Hamas and supports the al-Sharaa regime in Syria.
Creating a Systemic Risk to the Global F-35 Network: Deploying 5th-generation capabilities in proximity to Russian S-400 systems risks compromising and cracking the information security of the platform as a whole. This threat is not limited to the erosion of Israel’s qualitative edge or the exposure of its defense industries; it constitutes a direct threat to every country in the world equipped with the F-35, alongside concerns over the possible proliferation of KAAN aircraft to additional militaries across the Sunni sphere.
15/07/26
U.S.–Israel Alliance as a Litmus Test: The Democratic Primaries and the Struggle over the Party’s Future
The stance on Israel has emerged as a key test at the ballot box during the Democratic primaries. How does this manifest, how does it impact Washington-Jerusalem relations, and does Israel have any recourse?
13/07/26 Generated with AI
Time to Break the Strategic Limbo: Israel’s Core Challenge
Israel finds itself in a continuous stagnation, wherein impressive tactical military achievements are not translating into political and strategic victory. How can this 'limbo' be resolved across the various fronts?
05/07/26